Objective Notes
Very Smooth (on the RnD scale of Harsh-Smooth-Very Smooth-Extremely Smooth)

Cartavio Aniversario 5 year old rum is medium amber with golden highlights in color as it’s displayed in the glass. Aromatic discovery reveals hints of vanilla, caramel, oak, and raisins. Alcohol aromas are muted with no off flavors noted. The entry is slightly spicy with some warmth leading to a light body. Flavors revealed are leather, light vanilla, caramel, and white pepper. The finish is long, warm, and memorable with a dry vanilla fade.

Anecdotal Notes

Cartavio Aniversario 5 year old rum was created to celebrate their 75th anniversary. Now the company is over 80 years old and making some of the very best rums in the world today. The company name, Cartavio, is taken from the local town it’s near which was named in 1675 by the Spanish Captain Don Domingo de Cartavio, who first acquired the land. Many years later the grace sugar company decided to produce its own rum and that’s how the rum company was born.

This 5 year old rum starts out as raw molasses and is distilled using both common methods, the pot still for the heavier rums and continuous column still which produces lighter rum. The rum is aged in some of the 46,000 oak barrels onsite from the USA and Spain. Then depending on the rum being produced the master blender will select a blend of light and heavy rums of different ages according to the recipe required. In the case of the Cartavio Aniversario 5 year old rum there are 9 different mixes blended together make the final product which is consistent batch after batch and year after year. It’s a real art and science to do this and it takes years of dedication to perfect their craft.

I first tried Cartavio Aniversario 5 year old at the 2010 Miami Rum Renaissance’s    RumXP International Tasting Competition. It garnered a silver medal in the competition which boasted almost 100 rums.

Taster’s Opinion
Roger – Cartavio makes great rum. Their Aniversario 5 year old rum is able to be enjoyed neat or on the rocks and it makes super cocktails. You’ll have a hard time finding a 5 year old rum for $20 anywhere in the USA let alone one this good.

Taster's Rating (10 is best):  Roger – 8 Flasks

Most recently reviewed by:  Roger September 2010 at RnD's North tasting room, USA

*750ml unless otherwise stated.